In the immortal words of Ron Washington, the Atlanta Braves' current third base coach, playing first base is “incredibly hard”. Nevertheless, for Bryce Harper, it seems like a future at that position is in the cards, as he started at first base for the 12th time this season in a 9-4 victory for the Philadelphia Phillies over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

A right fielder by trade, Harper has had to move around this season amid his battles with back problems. In fact, he hasn't started a game in the outfield this season, as the Phillies brass is concerned that doing so may aggravate whatever injury woes Harper is already dealing with.

But at the very least, Bryce Harper said that he is “feeling good” and that Phillies fans are not yet done watching him ply his trade as the team's first baseman.

“I look forward to keep playing over there,” Harper said, per Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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The good thing is that Bryce Harper's bat is good enough to suit a role as the team's first baseman, 2023 decline notwithstanding. Harper is more capable of hitting for power than his 2023 numbers may indicate, so a regression to the mean in the power department could do wonders for the Phillies offense.

Moreover, Harper being healthy enough to play first base — and doing a good enough job to cover in that position — should also have some helpful repercussions for the Phillies in other areas of the team. This would allow the Phillies to pencil Kyle Schwarber in as a designated hitter. That is Schwarber's ideal position given his defensive shortcomings in left field, which already cost them a game against the Blue Jays in recent days.

Throughout 2023, the Phillies have searched for answers on how to fill their void at first base following Rhys Hoskins' season-ending injury. They turned to the likes of Kody Clemens, Darick Hall, and Jake Cave in their search for answers, but in the end, none of those three established themselves as definitive big leaguers. Bryce Harper then stands out as the Phillies' best option at the position, health permitting of course.